Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
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Web ID: 17337532Ratings & Reviews
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Real, Current, and Enthralling Mystery
“We are the young men of Urban Promise Prep. We are destined for greatness.” Urban Promise Prep turns at-risk boys into college-bound young men. Though the school’s methods are harsh, Principal Moore is effective at changing the lives of his students. Then Principal Moore is murdered in his office. With police surrounding the school, suspicions turn to three students as Moore’s killer… or killers. J.B., Ramón, and Trey were all in the school during the murder; all had reasons for wanting Moore gone. The boys each swear their innocence, but emerging evidence and public opinion point to one of them. J.B., Ramón, and Trey now have two options: find Moore’s real killer or go to jail for a murder they did not commit. Promise Boys is an enthralling murder mystery with storytelling unlike anything I’ve ever read. One of my favorite things about this YA debut is how the story is structured. While J.B., Ramón, and Trey are our leading men, the book features chapters from more than a dozen other characters reminiscent of testimonials or brief interviews in a documentary. Each of these segments–whether from family members, fellow students, or even an anonymous Nobody–adds to the questions and unreliability of the murder investigation. I cycled through almost ten different suspects before determining who I thought was the murderer (spoiler alert: I got it wrong). I also enjoyed the variety of POVs because it made the page time with J.B., Ramón, and Trey that much more engaging. We spend so much time hearing the speculations of the other characters, and their perspectives contrast well with the trio’s own chapters. J.B., Ramón, and Trey aren’t premeditated murderers; they’re just kids. They have their own backgrounds and goals in life. They deal with first love, familial disappointments, and the isolation of being written off by their peers and community. While J.B., Ramón, and Trey face serious allegations and the realities of racism, we also see the boys’ wonderfully positive and creative sides. J.B. is a soft-hearted writer/aspiring musician; Ramón loves cooking and has an entrepreneurial spirit; Trey is both a sports star and a natural comedian. The injustices in the book never fully take away the power that J.B., Ramón, and Trey possess, which I really loved. The way the boys speak and relate to each other also adds a feeling of authenticity to their characters. In fact, every character speaks in a way that feels real and current. This, combined with the shorter chapters and fast pace of the book, made for a quick and compelling read. Promise Boys is a new favorite and go-to book rec of mine. I look forward to more stories from Nick Brooks!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Nice
This is EXTRAORDINARY WORK and it earns more than five stars! Maybe it’s early to declare the best books of 2023 because I probably read about 50 arcs that be released on 2023. But honestly when you see a glowing gem, you can appreciate its uniqueness! This book is different and special! So I can proudly say it will be one of the HITS and the best works of next year! I hope my words may put this great work on your radar and I advise not to add your tbr, just read it, don’t let this beauty be forgotten in your list! Let’s take a quick look to the plot which hooks you up from the first chapter! A gun shot terrorizes the students of Urban Promise Prep during the basketball game. The principal and founder of the school: Kenneth Moore is found shot to death at his office by his coworker and DC officers focus on the investigation to find the killer of the principal: who was beloved member of the community. He started the school as a dream project to create a place for the young brains who are struggled at the regular schools. The teenagers nobody wants to teach and understand can have a brighter future ahead of them by attending to Promise Prep.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
So good!!!
I finished this book in two days, that's how interesting it was. I could not put it down. I never really read a book like this, but now that I have read Promise Boys I will probably read more books like it in the future. I liked that we get to see everyone's different point of view throughout the book, so that it is not only just one person's ideas and thoughts on what other people were thinking. I thought that it was cool at the ending that we were told how the school was different a year after the principal's murder and how it had changed for the better after the murder. Also, I was surprised that at the beginning of the book we were told that there were mainly three suspects, the three boys who attended and were last seen with Principal Moore, but it turned out to be someone who had not been one of the first suspects that they had suspected. I can't wait to see what Brooks writes next and if he will write more books like Promise Boys or something similar to it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
beautifully written
"Promise Boys" is a beautifully written book that explores the complexities of friendship, loyalty, and the impact of trauma on young lives. The book is set in a small town in New York and follows three friends, Jonah, Cole, and Vivi, while they navigate the challenges during the aftermath of a tragedy that rocked their community. The book is told from Jonah's perspective and the author does a great job capturing the perspective of a teenage boy. I really liked the depth of the characters that the author provided. Also, it was written with a lyrical and poetic prose style which was beautiful and a pleasure to read. Overall, "Promise Boys" is a powerful and moving coming-of-age novel that will resonate with readers of all ages. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Amazing read!
I absolutely loved this story. I was hooked from the first page. It was a fun read and a great read . It was an amazing book I haven’t stopped thinking about. It was a fast read for me I couldn’t put the book down when I picked it up. It was an excellent murder mystery book. It was a unique and compelling story. I loved the writing style of the book and it was just my kinda of story to read. It had an inspiring message through out the whole book. The storyline was easy to follow. The artwork on the cover was amazing and beautiful. This book was amazing it had both good and bad parts but all important parts of the story. It definitely all put the storyline together beautifully. It was interesting story with complex characters. It had me wondering if there is going to be a sequel.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Mystery
I loved this book. Brooks has a fantastic writing style. The way this story was told was very interesting with how it changed between interviews and the main characters. I loved how Brooks developed the characters and the mystery. This book has some great commentary and shows how the main characters are heavily impacted by the expectations placed on them, based on race and where they are from. I enjoyed how they came to get know each other and learn to depend on each other to solve the mystery and clear their names. While it does wrap up very cleanly, I do think it ended in a very satisfying way. This was an excellent book that I highly recommend.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Dark academia with a heart
Dark academia gets a heart and a bigger brain in this fast-paced mystery. The story is told from the perspective of three boys at a prep school who are suspected of killing their principal. Their narratives are shared in the days before, of, and shortly following the murder. We learn a bit about each kid's back story, motives, and reaction to the killing. The social commentary is well done but doesn't overshadow the mystery. The author makes it easy to understand the perspectives of everyone and why nothing in this DC school is as black and white as it appears to be. The undercurrent of fear and distrust in the kids' daily lives is well portrayed. He shows why there is no such thing as an easy decision, or a bad kid, or a clear way out in these circumstances. Most of the characters are likable. None is thoroughly developed, but it's a short book with a lot of ground to cover.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Really Interesting!
Overall I really enjoyed reading this book! I thought the style and the premise were super interesting and it really held my attention. It was a quick and easy read while still touching on important topics in an interesting way. (Included spoilers below) Pros: I really loved the characters and how unique and different they were from each other. I loved the style of the book and how it was broken up into different sections as well as different characters. I liked how easy it felt to read and the flow of the book (it didn't feel like it started to drag on at any point). I really enjoyed the end of the book and the year-later report, it tied up the book nicely. Cons: Because there were so many characters and side characters, it felt kind of difficult to get to know any of the characters. I did easily predict the actual murderer in the book which was disappointing, I wish things were more ambiguous throughout the book. I also wish we got more insight into the characters' lives. I would have loved to see more about Mrs. Hall and the cop as well as all three of the main boys.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com